


Love's Wrath

by mlb_obsessedbutlazy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Alya Césaire Ships It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, I have no idea what I'm doing, Kwami Shenanigans, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Nino Lahiffe Is So Done, Nino Lahiffe Knows, Protective Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), sorry lol, what has Chat done to deserve this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25662286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlb_obsessedbutlazy/pseuds/mlb_obsessedbutlazy
Summary: ‘What… what’s wrong with my leg?’ He attempted to move said limb, only to discover he couldn’t feel anything. Chat looked down and realized two things at once:1.	His left leg was gone.2.	Chat Noir doesnotlike blood.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Sabine Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Tom Dupain, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Comments: 38
Kudos: 167





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic, and I’m really proud of myself for finally gathering up the courage to post this. I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I did writing it. Enjoy! ~~It’s totally not like I stayed up until 2am getting this chapter done~~

“Chaaat!!!”

Ladybug’s anguished cry shook Chat Noir to his core. _‘What… what’s wrong with my leg?’_ He attempted to move said limb, only to discover he couldn’t feel anything. Chat looked down and realized two things at once:

1\. His left leg was gone.  
2\. Chat Noir does **not** like blood.

His head swam as he gagged, stomach churning. His last moment of awareness was of a firm, though gentle embrace lifting him off the cold ground.

* * *

~~~~~ <3 angst <3 ~~~~~

* * *

“Chaaat!!!”

Ladybug watched in horror as her best friend and partner was thrashed around by the latest akuma victim, a samurai named Shredder with a terrifying skill with swords. She then proceeded to nearly empty the contents of her stomach when she witnessed his left leg get cut clean off. She rushed towards him as he crumpled to the ground, motionless. Dodging the akuma’s attacks, she made it to Chat’s side and immediately scooped him up, carefully avoiding looking at the empty space where his leg should have been. Still holding him close, Ladybug turned towards the akuma.

“Hawkmoth,” her voice was pure venom as she directly addressed the supervillain, “you’ve gone too far this time. When I’m through with you, you’re going to wish you were **NEVER. BORN.** ”

The spotted heroine then tightened her grip on her partner and swung away.

* * *

~~~~~ <3 angst <3 ~~~~~

* * *

Hawkmoth watched through his victim’s eyes as Ladybug left, her threat echoing in his head. _“You’ve gone too far this time. When I’m through with you, you’re going to wish you were **NEVER. BORN.** ”_

“What now?” Shredder interrupted the villain’s musings. “I didn’t get the dumb jewelry, Ladybug left, and now she’s also _extremely_ ticked. And do you _see_ all that blood?! I don’t even want to know where that cat’s leg went!” Hawkmoth could _feel_ the shudder through the psychic link. Shredder continued, “Can I go exact my revenge on the imbecile that dishonored my family legacy now? I mean, there’s nothing else to do but wait, isn’t there?”

Hawkmoth sighed.

“I believe you are correct. For now we must simply wait for them- or rather, _her_ \- to return. You may do as you please, under one condition. Unless it’s one of those pesky heroes, do **not** , under any circumstances, take a life. Is that understood?”

Shredder answered, “I understand, Hawkmoth.”

Said villain then blocked out the psychic link and walked towards the stasis chamber standing prominently in the center of his underground lair.

“Emilie?” he began tentatively, “am I doing the right thing?” He paused, rehashing the events of the past 20 minutes, and decided to rephrase his inquiry.

“Does the end justify the means?”

His response? Only the flutter of butterflies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of my first fic has been posted! Yay! *internal celebration*  
> Thanks a million to anyone who reads this, and to anyone who suggests a name for this akuma victim. (Edit: thx to Guess for giving me the best name ever lol {Did anyone get it? Let me know in the comments})  
> I don’t consider myself an amazing writer, so any constructive (note I said constructive; any negative comments will be deleted) criticism is appreciated.  
> One last thing. I have no update schedule, nor do I have any control over when inspiration hits me, so I apologize in advance for any long delays in updates. Please don’t comment demanding for the next part, it will only drain my desire to write. Thank you for understanding!  
> Hey! Want to be in a community full of miraculous lovers just like you?? Want to share your fics and art? Want to rant about how crappy Adrien's "father" is? Or maybe scream into the void with someone about the beauty that is the Lovesquare or about your fave rarepairs? Join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.com/invite/mlfanworks)! We would love to have you!  
> <3 <3 <3


	2. Marinette can't-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Just wanted to let y’all know that I have no idea where I’m going with this, so sorry in advance for all the emotional whiplash hehe.  
> Btw, I have a headcanon that Miraculous Ladybug can’t bring back people that die during akuma attacks, hence how I’ve written this chapter.  
> Also, special request: Can anyone give me suggestions for future akuma victims (names and powers)? My creativity in that department is extremely lacking lol. Thanks!  
> Now, onwards!  
> 

* * *

Special thanks to [Khanofallorcs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs) for beta reading this chapter!

* * *

~On a random rooftop near Marinette’s home~

“Chat, can you hear me!? Chat Noir!? Answer me, you stupid cat!!!”

Ladybug screamed at her partner’s unconscious form, desperately willing him to wake up. _‘No no no no. This can’t be happening. What do I do!?’_ Her body suddenly gave out and she collapsed besides Chat, sheer exhaustion overtaking her. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Ladybug clung to Chat’s torso, sobs wracking her petite frame.

“I-i’m so s-sorry, Chat,” she hiccuped, “this is a-all m-my fault.”

She ignored the beep of her Miraculous, not caring about identities at the moment. That is, until she realized it wasn’t _her_ Miraculous beeping. It was Chat’s ring! _‘Oh no! Oh no no no NO!’_ She turned away from him _just_ before he detransformed. She knew this was _not_ how he wanted their identity reveal to go (neither did she, obviously), so she made sure to stay with her back facing him. Oh man, NOW what was she supposed to do!? Her best friend was bleeding to death!

“Pigtails!”

Ladybug jumped.

“P-plagg? Is that you?”

The little black kwami floated up in front of her face, looking as distraught as she felt.

“What happened to my kid!? All I was able to see before he passed out was blood. A _lot_ of it.”

It was only then that Plagg noticed the worst part.

“Whe- where’s his leg!?!?”

Tears flowing, Ladybug told Plagg everything that had happened. While recounting the more gruesome details, she broke down again. After calming down, she looked at the kwami.

“Plagg, he’s lost a lot of blood. What do I do!?”

Plagg didn’t hesitate.

“Look at him.”

Ladybug froze.

“...What?”

“Look. At. Him.”

“Wha- why!? Plagg, you _know_ that’s not a-”

“Is that _really_ important right now?? Marinette,”- The heroine startled at the use of her true name- “my kid is **dying** , he needs help. You know that Miraculous Ladybug can’t bring people back from the dead. Consequences can be dealt with later. Look. At. Him.”

Bluebell eyes bore into acid green ones, as though trying to read their intentions. Finally, Ladybug nodded.

“You’re right. I know you’re right.”

She took a breath, and with one more glance back at Plagg, she turned around.

There, on the rooftop, and missing a limb, was none other than Adrien. Frickin. Agreste.

…

Somewhere on the other side of Paris, an elderly man wearing a hawaiian shirt swore he had heard someone scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first lame attempt at a cliffhanger :P (Sorry not sorry). Thank you all so much for the kudos and the comments! They make my day and give me more incentive to write.  
> Don’t worry, the angst isn’t over yet, but I can’t NOT give my babies the fluffy, romantic ending they deserve. I love them too much for that xD. See y’all in the next one!  
> Hey! Want to be in a community full of miraculous lovers just like you?? Want to share your fics and art? Want to rant about how crappy Adrien's "father" is? Or maybe scream into the void with someone about the beauty that is the Lovesquare or about your fave rarepairs? Join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.com/invite/mlfanworks)! We would love to have you!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what you get when you throw yourself in front of attacks, Chat! (I’m just kidding... but you’re still stupid XD). What’s our resident spotted heroine’s reaction to... well, everything?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I’m just sliding in to apologize for having this chapter posted so late. Unfortunately, I’m still a student, so school is a high priority right now. Good news is I already have chapter 4 written out, so that will (hopefully) go up no later than next week. Also, there’s one more headcanon of mine (yes, another one lol), consisting in that the kwamis can transform their holders on their own, but it takes much more of their energy, so they only do it in an emergency. Again, thanks for your patience! With that, have fun reading this wreck of a chapter lol.

Special thanks to  [ BLUEMoonMessenger ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BLUEMoonMessenger) ,  [ Khanofallorcs ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs) , and  [ Mommadon ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mommadon) for beta reading this chapter! Check them out, they also have amazing works!

* * *

Adrien groaned. His eyes felt screwed shut, and he had completely lost all feeling below his torso. His head wasn’t much better. He swore there were 100 tiny elves tap dancing on his skull, and his thoughts were muddled. It certainly didn’t help that his mind thought that conjuring up the sound of a woman’s scream was a good idea.  _ ‘Wait a second...’  _ A realization dawned on him.  _ ‘I  _ **_know_ ** _ that voice!!’ _

“La- Ladybug? Wha- what’s going on?”

His throat felt dry and scratchy, and his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. Adrien forced his eyes open, and  _ immediately _ regretted it. The bright sunlight was like a rallying call to the tap-dancing elves, so he closed his eyes tight, letting out an involuntary whimper as his head resumed its pounding. It was only then that he noticed the screaming had stopped, and he heard footsteps coming towards him. When he felt a shadow shield his eyelids from the sun, Adrien slowly tried opening his eyes again. This time, he was met with the disheveled, tear-streaked face of his beloved partner.

Ladybug leaned towards him, face scrunched up as though she were still trying to hold back tears.

“A-Adrien?” she began, “I... I don’t believe it...”

She trailed off, and her eyes glazed over for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

“Ummm, Ladybug?”

Adrien watched as the heroine suddenly recoiled, eyes widening.

“Oh my gosh, what am I doing!? Cha- Adrien, are you alright!? Wait, no, of  _ course _ you aren’t. Yo- your leg! It’s-”

She inhaled sharply and turned away, seemingly unable to finish the sentence. Adrien felt completely drained, and the agony he was in certainly wasn’t helping his attempts at answering his distraught partner. His eyelids were growing heavier by the second. He continued to listen to Ladybug’s incoherent ramblings, the sound being a small comfort as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

~~~ <3 angst <3 ~~~

* * *

Ladybug paced back and forth on the rooftop, oblivious to the fact that no one else was listening. Plagg was busy eating a macaron (he didn’t even complain, which proved how grave the situation truly was), and unbeknownst to her, Chat had passed out again.

“This- this is all my fault! If only I hadn’t panicked, I would have made it to you in time to block the blade! Ugh, I’m the  _ worst  _ Ladybug _ ever _ ! And now my best friend, partner, and long time  _ crush _ is missing a leg and  _ bleeding _ to death while I stand here  _ TALKING TO MYSELF _ !!!”

Having completed her rant, Ladybug finally became aware of her surroundings again. At the sight of Adrien’s unconscious form, she gasped.

“Oh no, Adrien I’m so sorry.”

She looked down at him, processing something. Suddenly, her head snapped up, a little hope shining on her face. Ladybug bent down, gingerly lifting Adrien up.

“Plagg?” she whispered. “I think he has a better chance of surviving if he’s transformed. Did the macaron get your energy back?”

Plagg answered quickly.

“Nothing would keep me from saving my kid, Pigtails, but yes, it helped.”

Ladybug knew he would never forgive her if something happened to his charge, and honestly, she wouldn’t blame him.

“Is there a way to transform him without him telling you?” she asked. “And do you have a way to stop the bleeding?”

Plagg nodded.

“It takes more of my energy, but yes, I can transform him on my own. And I can make the suit put pressure to slow the bleeding.”

Then, the kwami took a deep breath and dove into Adrien’s ring. Ladybug almost dropped the boy in surprise as the transformation overtook him. Once she saw the tell-tail (get it? _tail_??) cat ears and mussed up mane appear, she looked down at her partner.

“Don’t die on me,” she whispered, voice shaking. “I can’t do this without you.”

With that, Ladybug jumped off the roof, swinging towards a certain Chinese massage parlor and its occupants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* Poor children...
> 
> Hey! Want to be in a community full of miraculous lovers just like you?? Want to share your fics and art? Want to rant about how crappy Adrien's "father" is? Or maybe scream into the void with someone about the beauty that is the Lovesquare or about your fave rarepairs? Join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.com/invite/mlfanworks)! We would love to have you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get some inside perspective from our very own Shredder... hmmm...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I just wanted to say thank you for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! They mean the world to me, this being my first fic and all, and they help motivate me to continue writing. Don’t forget to drop a comment! That being said, writing is HARD!! Welp, enjoy chapter 4 of Love’s Wrath! :P

Thanks so much to BLUEMoonMessenger,  [ Khanofallorcs ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs) , and  [ Mommadon ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mommadon) for beta reading this chapter! Check them out, their fics are AWESOME!

* * *

Shredder was getting impatient. He had been unable to locate Daniel, the man who had insulted his honor (he didn’t know it at the time, but a certain superhero duo had hidden him far from the fight) and was now storming through Paris, utilizing his actual magical power- he hadn’t had the opportunity to use it earlier- to amass allies. As soon as he touched someone with a fan he kept hidden in a pocket of his costume, they acquired samurai-like outfits and a small katana, and became his loyal followers. Shredder commanded his new recruits to spread out and search for the heroes. All of a sudden, his head was filled with an obnoxious voice that wasn’t his.

“Shredder, why haven’t you provided me with the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous?”

Hawkmoth’s voice sent a shiver through Shredder’s spine, but he maintained his composure.

“Patience, my friend,” he responded calmly, trying not to let his irritation get through the psychic link. “I’ve sent my servants out to search for them. They cannot have gone far, considering the cat’s condition. I’ll get you your precious jewels.”

“You'd better. Remember, I bestowed your powers, and I can take them away.”

Shredder shrugged off the warning.

“Don’t worry, Hawkmoth.”

The voice disappeared, connection breaking, for now. Shredder sighed heavily.  _ ‘All I wanted was to  _ _~~smack~~ _ _ talk some sense into that blasted fool, Daniel. I didn’t mean to hurt that boy, but what choice did I have? Hawkmoth will strip me of the ability to complete my mission unless I get those Miraculous.’ _

_ ‘You could always deny Hawkmoth,’ _ a small, traitorous part of him whispered, even though it knew it wouldn’t stand a chance against the supervillain’s power.

_ ‘NO! I  _ **_need_ ** _ him.’ _

Shredder refused to continue entertaining such thoughts. But that same small part found its way out in the form of one last whisper.

“I’m sorry, Chat Noir.”

Then the akumatized man continued his hunt for the heroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter than short chapter lol. Also, I wanted to apologize for sort of stuffing in the information regarding Shredder’s actual “power”. I didn’t think the info was necessary in the beginning, and considering the situation, I felt it would have taken readers away from the angst XD. See you in the next one!
> 
> Hey! Want to be in a community full of miraculous lovers just like you?? Want to share your fics and art? Want to rant about how crappy Adrien's "father" is? Or maybe scream into the void with someone about the beauty that is the Lovesquare or about your fave rarepairs? Join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.com/invite/mlfanworks)! We would love to have you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will Master Fu do about Chat/Adrien? How will Ladybug be able to focus and take down the akuma with so much on her mind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Any chance we can ignore how late this chapter is??? 😬 No? *sigh* 🥺🥺🥺 I’m sowwy. Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to the amazing [Mommadon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mommadon), whose gorgeous works inspired me to start writing fanfiction! Definitely go give em a read! ...Not right now though! Finish the next chapter of Love’s Wrath!!!  
> P.S. No beta for this chapter, so... we die like women??

“Master! I sensed Plagg’s energy drain significantly. I believe he may have needed to transform his holder without use of the transformation phrase!”

Wayzz flew around the shop, his usual calm demeanor fraying.

Fu jumped up.

“If you are correct, then something must be very wrong. Why hasn’t Ladybug-”

The sudden thud at his door cut him off, and he rushed to open it. When he did, he was almost knocked over by the force of two bodies tumbling in.

“Master Fu! I-it’s Chat! He’s badly injured!”

Ladybug frantically gasped for breath, chest heaving. Master Fu wordlessly signaled her to follow him. He led her into a back room which contained a few small cots and shelves of what appeared to be herbs and oriental medicines.

“Set him down on one of the cots.” He instructed.

After doing what she was told, Ladybug all but collapsed onto the floor.

“Spots off.”

Marinette’s exhausted form greeted the old Guardian. Tikki practically hurled herself out of the earrings.

“Master, Plagg’s holder has been terribly injured! Plagg had to transform him _on his own_!

The spotted kwami was more distressed than the time Plagg had wiped out the dinosaurs.

“Tikki, you must calm down,” Fu implored. “I understand how much energy Plagg is expending right now, but in order to help, I need an explanation.”

Tikki stopped talking, but Marinette had never seen so much panic in her kwami’s eyes. She reached out, cupping her hands gently around Tikki and began to softly stroke her head. Master Fu handed the little kwami a cracker pack, which Tikki gratefully accepted. She ate whilst Marinette gave the Guardian more details on the situation. Thankfully, she was able to get through recounting them without losing what little composure she still had. When she finished, she looked up to find Master Fu’s grim expression matching her own.

“Thank you, Marinette. Now that I have a better understanding of what happened, I know how to help.”

He looked to Chat Noir, deathly still on the cot, the only sign of life being the barely perceivable rise and fall of his chest. Turning back to Marinette, he examined her. Silently, he walked past her into the other room, then returned with the miracle box.

“Marinette, are you still able to fight?” he asked.

The girl in question sighed wearily but nodded.

“I have to, Master. It’s the only way to make sure Chat lives.”

Fu gave her a reassuring smile, then sat next to her, setting the miracle box down in front of them both.

“You must choose allies for this fight to make up for the... _temporary_ loss of your black cat. In the meantime, I will keep him stabilized so Plagg can renew his energy. If we don’t hurry, his energy will drain completely, and neither he nor his holder will return to assist you anytime soon.”

Marinette nodded. She analyzed each miraculous in the box, her gaze settling on the fox, bee, and snake, then turning to look at the turtle on Master Fu’s wrist. Taking the foxtail necklace, bee comb, and snake bracelet from the box, she addressed the Guardian.

“Master, may I?”

She extended her hand towards Fu’s miraculous. He nodded.

“Of course.” Handing it to her, he continued firmly. “Go quickly now. I will ensure Chat Noir returns to your side soon.”

Marinette looked towards the aforementioned boy, eyes hesitant at first, then flashing with resolve. She got up and walked towards him.

“Come back to me,” she whispered, leaning down. “I need you.”

Her pulse quickened as her lips ghosted over his own. Abruptly, she jerked back, face red as her namesake. _‘What did I just DO!?”_

“UM! Tikki, on spots- I mean!” She spluttered.

Fu observed the small interaction, both puzzled and amused. _‘I’ll ask later.’_ Tikki allowed a small smile peek through before settling herself on her holder’s cheek.

“Marinette, if you want to save Chat, you must focus. Deal with the rest of it later, ok?”

Marinette nodded quickly.

“Right, sorry. Tikki, Spots on!”

Suddenly, Ladybug felt a burst of new energy. _‘Thanks, Tikki.’_ Placing the other miraculous in her yoyo for safekeeping, she said goodbye to Master Fu. New determination flooding her being, she swung out in search of her teammates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you haven’t noticed, this fic is ignoring the hot mess that was the Season 3 finale. I’m seriously annoyed with Ladybug and Fu for... reasons, but we won’t get into that. Thankfully, the NYC special reinstated my love for Marinette/LB, though it took me getting more than a little mad at her actions first XD. Anyways, thanks for reading! Next chapter will be more about Chloé, so see y’all then!
> 
> Hey! Want to be in a community full of miraculous lovers just like you?? Want to share your fics and art? Want to rant about how crappy Adrien's "father" is? Or maybe scream into the void with someone about the beauty that is the Lovesquare or about your fave rarepairs? Join the [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.com/invite/mlfanworks)! We would love to have you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *casually yeets a Chloé POV, then Naruto runs away*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I don’t really have any good excuse. I mean I _could_ say I was swamped with school, because I _was_ (and still am; I don’t have Christmas break for another week), but I most definitely could have typed and posted this instead of watching Among Us YouTube live streams in my free time... Quarantine/Covid/2020 in general has sort of karate chopped my motivation for nearly everything, but I’m trying my best to get back on my feet. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter!  
> P.S. I gave up on asking friends to beta since I’m so inconsistent lol. If you guys see anything, just lmk and I’ll fix it!

Chloé Bourgeois was known as a bully, a spoiled brat, and of course, the mayor’s princess. More recently, however, she had become known as Queen Bee, occasional superheroine of Paris. Now, people were starting to see a new side of Chloé. She could still be the rudest person you’d ever (unfortunately) run into, but she was trying to improve. Sabrina wasn’t just a tool she used to pass her classes, Marinette and herself weren’t butting heads nearly as often as before, and most importantly, she had realized just how much Adrien was bothered by her incessant clinginess, plus how inappropriate it was, and she was backing off. Most of Chloé’s classmates had noticed the change, even if the only difference was that instead of outright insulting them, Chloé just ignored them. It was a nice change if they were being honest, even Chloé _herself_ thought so (though she would never admit it out loud).

However, as monumental as becoming Queen Bee was, Chloé had never thought she truly deserved the title, nor the powers. Recent events only served to worsen her already abysmal self-esteem. Ladybug, Paris’ resident angel in polka-dots, was _ignoring_ her. Chloé could recall countless akumatized victims that could have been saved _hours_ earlier with Queen Bee’s help, but neither Ladybug nor that alley cat ever showed (and it didn't seem like they'd been able to find a new candidate either, much to Chloé’s admittedly selfish relief). Sometimes, she had even seen Ladybug swinging towards the hotel, only to suddenly veer a different direction. It was... disheartening to say the least. Chloé understood ( _now_ ) that publicizing her identity as Queen Bee wasn’t that great of an idea... at all, but she also knew that there was nothing she could do about it now. Yes, she _had_ actually mulled over her actions and arrived at the correct conclusions. Now, if Ladybug would only stop _avoiding_ her, they could talk and Chloé might at least get closure.

As she sat in her room pondering yet another plan to get Ladybug to come to the hotel, the akuma alert sounded. Chloé immediately pulled up the Ladyblog on her phone, which, loathe as she was to admit it, _was_ actually a verifiable and easy to read akuma information source. But then, Chloé nearly leaped off her couch when Alya’s live stream opened up to an agonized scream.

_“Chaaat!!!”_

That was Ladybug’s voice. _Ladybug_ had just sounded as though her entire being was being torn apart. Chloé could only stare in horror at Chat Noir’s slumped figure, Alya’s cries mere background noise. Ladybug scrambled towards her partner, faster than lightning. Shielding Chat and herself with her yoyo, Ladybug clung to his motionless body. Chloé wanted to cry. As much as she pretended to turn her nose up at the boy clad in black, deep down she knew she cared for him as much as the next Parisian. Perhaps even a little more. He kind of reminded her of another dear friend of hers, though she wasn’t going to analyze that in that moment. Then, Chloé heard it.

_“Hawkmoth.”_

Chloé shuddered. She had never heard Ladybug’s tone sound so deadly.

_“You’ve gone too far this time. When I’m through with you, you’re going to wish you were **NEVER. BORN.** ”_

On that chilling note, the heroine swung away. The akuma seemed to just stand there for a moment, then, he turned and ran the opposite direction. Alya made no move to follow. The camera started shaking, followed by quiet sobbing before the stream abruptly cut off. Chloé sat on her couch, frozen, her mind trying to figure out what the heck she had just witnessed. ‘ _I want to help. How can I **help**? Will Chat Noir be ok? **What the frick just happened???** ’_

She took a minute to just focus on her breathing. _‘Crap now I’ve started to hyperventilate.’_

After calming down, Chloé started analyzing the footage. She mostly went through the few minutes before the... gruesome part so as to not have to watch it again. Alya had finally gotten her camera to focus when Chloé spotted something on the villain’s clothing. She paused the video. Shredder- _‘Seriously, Hawkmoth? You got as much creativity as my pasty, duck-haired, candy cane frappuccino-dressed "fashion designer" Uncle Gabriel’-_ was in full view of the screen, sword glistening in the sunlight. But Chloé wasn’t looking at the sword. She was looking at Shredder’s _fan_ , the only part of his costume that didn’t look like it belonged. At first, Chloé thought there was nothing special about it and that it was just one of those cool warrior fans you see in the movies or whatever, but then she recalled a recent history lesson with Mme. Bustier (So she pays attention to her lessons now). Yes, combat fans had existed, and yes, they’d been used by warriors, but not _Samurai_ warriors. Chloé googled “traditional samurai armory” a dozen different ways (“samurai weapons” “did they use fans”, etc). There were passing mentions of fans for formal events, along with a few articles including some information about other warriors or high-end officials using them, but it was never mentioned that combat fans were a part of a samurai’s weapons arsenal. Chloé clicked back to Alya’s video. She played it, waited a second, and paused it again. _‘There!’_

The fan was poking out of a hidden pocket in Shredder’s costume, and Chloé gave a small, victorious whoop as she noticed the faint purplish glow it displayed in the sunlight. The same glow normally associated with akumatized objects. Chloé was feeling significantly less panicked until she realized she had no way of actually getting this information to Ladybug.

“Aaagh!!!” she pulled at her hair.

Out of nowhere, there was a resounding crash coming from her balcony. She jumped. Slowly, she got up from her couch and tip-toed to the bathroom cabinet to get her pepper spray. Chloé had no idea if it would actually _do_ anything, but it was better than nothing. _‘If it's the akuma, maybe I could even grab the fan!’_

She peeked through her curtains. Her lounge chair and bee signal had been knocked over, but other than that, there didn’t seem to be anyone- or any _thing_ \- there. That is, until a certain superheroine stood up from behind the fallen chair. Chloé gaped as Ladybug dusted off her suit and hastily righted the chair and bee signal. It was obvious to Chloé that Ladybug was nervous about something, but what? She was pacing back and forth, hands pulling at her pigtails, while her face danced between determined, nervous, and apologetic. Suddenly, Chloé realized it. _‘She’s here to “officially” tell me that I can’t be Queen Bee anymore. She’s probably even found a new one already.’_

She paused. _‘But why would she do that now? In the middle of an akuma attack? ...maybe she’s just stopped here to rest for a second. Yeah, that’s it. She’s not here to see me at all. She just needed to land somewhere, and it simply **happened** to be my balcony.’_

Repeating that train of thought in her head, she focused her attention back on Ladybug. The girl was just standing there, fidgeting. Chloé was beginning to wonder whether she’d been turned into some sort of twitchy statue or something when Ladybug seemed to snap out of it. She marched over to Chloé’s balcony doors, paused, then knocked. Chloé just stood there for a moment, but then Ladybug spoke.

“Chloé? Are you there?”

Chloé shook herself, blinked, then stood up from behind the blinds. With a sinking feeling in her gut, she walked over and slowly opened her door.

“Ladybug? Wha- what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

The heroine opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again, but no sound came out. Whatever she was trying to say wasn’t coming out anytime soon. _‘Guess it’s up to me.’_ Chloé thought miserably.

“I assume you’re here to tell me I can’t be Queen Bee anymore.”

Ladybug jumped, as though she had forgotten Chloé was there. She ignored it and continued, gritting her teeth.

“It’s fine. Really. I mean, no one can possibly be a better Queen Bee than I was, but whatever peasant you picked will have to do.”

She stopped suddenly, feeling tears starting to build up behind her eyes. As much as she tried, she couldn’t keep the hurt and anger out of her voice when she next spoke.

“Just... let me say goodbye to Pollen. And _don’t_ ignore me.”

Ladybug stared at her. She looked... confused. Wait, confused? Ladybug slowly shook her head, looking apologetic.

“Chloé, I’m not here to tell you you’ve been replaced. And I’m really sorry for ignoring you. I... I guess I just didn’t know how to approach you. But that doesn’t matter, because right now I need you.”

Chloé’s brows knit together, and her eyes began to widen as she slowly realized what Ladybug was saying. Then she heard 8 words that would make this one of the happiest moments in her life.

“I’m here, because I need Queen Bee again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Miracle Queen never happened so Chloé is getting the redemption she deservessss. Thanks so much for reading 😊, see y’all in the next one!


	7. Author Update (will delete when next chapter is posted)

Hey guys!

This is a quick author update. Hopefully by the chapter title no one believes I'm dropping this fic or something, because I'm most definitely not. I love writing fics!  
However, back in November, my parents and I came to an agreement that I would stay off of social media/posting fics just until a certain age due to family privacy reasons. They allowed me to post Snowstorm and also one that will be coming up in the middle of February because they were commitments that I couldn't (and shouldn't) back out of. Anyways, it's not that they think me interacting with y'all is dangerous, but just in general for my safety, they want me to wait until I'm a little older. Dw though, I'll be the "appropriate" age in a couple of months, and since I already have the next couple of chapters written out, you can expect an update in late March. Sorry for not letting y'all know sooner, these past couple of months have been hectic, not just because of the holidays back in December, but also because we had to travel.

Thanks so much to those who read this and who have left kudos and comments on the other chapters and my other fics! I love you guys so much for that!  
See ya in March!

mlb_obsessedbutlazy (heh really doing my user justice, huh?),  
Signing off!


End file.
